Hey! My name is Daniel Kong
I’m a current sophomore studying Business Administration at the University of Southern California with minors in Applied Analytics and Designing for Digital Experiences.
My Story
Growing up in Orange County, I’ve been exposed to many different opportunities, from participating in Boy Scouts for 8 years until reaching the Eagle Scout rank to spending hours weekly editing and designing layouts for my high school newspaper. In high school, financial literacy became a very important part of my life, creating a club and curriculum dedicated to teaching financial literacy topics to youth groups. Seeing how something I created positively affected my community, this started my entrepreneurial journey. Since then, I have consulted for several startups and interned at a software development company and a venture capital firm. My experiences in these different industries have now led to pursue a career in product management, where I will have the flexibility of managing a product that will affect thousands of people to how I see fit. Outside of being a student, my hobbies consist of experimental cooking for my friends and family, run and cycle training for marathons, exploring new restaurants and cafes in Southern California, hiking long and grusome trails, and rock climbing some V4’s.
Work Experience
Campus Club CRM |Â Co-Founder
Los Angeles, CA | January 2024 – Present
• Lead strategic planning and initiation of a web-based CRM platform with a detailed 6-month launch roadmap, task delegation regarding development and design, and minimal viable product design in Figma.
• Engage in partnership talks with the USC Undergraduate Student Government and USC Marshall Business Student Government to enhance platform adoption and engagement for 50,000 students and 850 clubs
• Integrate a dynamic forum and thread board feature, facilitating centralized communication and information dissemination about club recruitment, info sessions, and networking events
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USC Career Center |Â Student Engagement Intern
Los Angeles, CA | December 2023 – Present
• Improve student career growth by connecting 300+ students weekly to career opportunities and resources; achieved LinkedIn certification, leading workshops for 100+ students on optimizing their professional online presence
• Streamline operational tasks, including the daily approval of 100+ job postings and employer registrations on ConnectSC and USC Handshake, enhancing the job search experience for all of USC’s 50,000 students
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ESG Playbook | Sustainability and Climate Action Intern          Â
Holmdel, New Jersey | April 2023 – October 2023
• Compiled and analyzed 2,000+ SASB reports, compiling essential data for the ESG Playbook’s peer comparison tool, a resource leveraged by users and stakeholders for informed decision-making
• Researched international regulations related to conflict minerals reporting for ESG Playbook’s supply chain tool, ensuring up-to-date data on compliance with global standards and mitigating reputational risks
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HP Tech Ventures |Â Venture Capital and Research Analyst
Palo Alto, CA | June 2023 – August 2023     Â
• Conducted comprehensive industry research and preliminary evaluations to identify 10 potential investment targets complimenting HP’s ZCentral platform, advancing acquisition discussion for 3 firms
• Oversaw portfolio management, conducted financial and strategic analyses of portfolio companies, and coordinated closely with company leaders, contributing to 3% overall portfolio growth in a cross-functional environment
My Leadership
RISE Consulting |Â Engagement Manager
Los Angeles, CA | May 2023 – December 2023Â
• Led a team of 4 business analysts to segment HONK Technologies’ automotive strategy into EV and Gas, analyzing operational dynamics and entry points of the automotive industry
• Strategized and managed module regarding 2,500,000+ lines of data, creating 1000+ Excel regression models to find data-backed correlations between provider engagement, time-to-dispatch, cost of goods/services, and survey ratingsÂ
Business Analyst  September 2022 – May 2023
• Evaluated 200+ professional exams in 10 industries, identifying strategic expansion opportunities for Achievable, a professional exam prep startup, leading to eventual implementation of the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) Exam
• Analyzed industry market data to formulate solutions for short-term revenue growth for LISUS Tech, including a customizable pricing model that was ultimately implemented, projecting a $50,000 profit per project basis
Moneythink USC |Â Vice President of AdministrationÂ
Los Angeles, CA | February 2023 – Present
• Collaborated with USC Professor Mike Parnal to organize a high-profile speaker event, drawing hundreds of students for insights on financial literacy and industry experience and fostering networking opportunities
• Piloted a mentorship program, pairing 10 members with 3 professional mentors for personal and professional growthÂ
Automotive, Transportation and Technology Startup
Position: Project Lead
Module 1: Market Research/Competitor Analysis
Module 2: Data Analysis. Regression Models, and Correlation
Education Technology Startup
Position: Business Analyst
Module 1: Market Sizing
Module 2: Competitor Analysis
Clean-Tech Energy Startup
Position: Business Analyst
Module 1: Revenue Generation
Module 2: Pricing and Data Curation Strategies
